the golden bough-第229章

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In　Kabadi；　a　district　of　British　New　Guinea；　daughters　of　chiefs；　when　they　are　about　twelve　or　thirteen　years　of　age；　are　kept　indoors　for　two　or　three　years；　never　being　allowed；　under　any　pretence；　to　descend　from　the　house；　and　the　house　is　so　shaded　that　the　sun　cannot　shine　on　them。　Among　the　Yabim　and　Bukaua；　two　neighbouring　and　kindred　tribes　on　the　coast　of　Northern　New　Guinea；　a　girl　at　puberty　is　secluded　for　some　five　or　six　weeks　in　an　inner　part　of　the　house；　but　she　may　not　sit　on　the　floor；　lest　her　uncleanliness　should　cleave　to　it；　so　a　log　of　wood　is　placed　for　her　to　squat　on。　Moreover；　she　may　not　touch　the　ground　with　her　feet；　hence　if　she　is　obliged　to　quit　the　house　for　a　short　time；　she　is　muffled　up　in　mats　and　walks　on　two　halves　of　a　coco…nut　shell；　which　are　fastened　like　sandals　to　her　feet　by　creeping　plants。　Among　the　Ot　Danoms　of　Borneo　girls　at　the　age　of　eight　or　ten　years　are　shut　up　in　a　little　room　or　cell　of　the　house；　and　cut　off　from　all　intercourse　with　the　world　for　a　long　time。　The　cell；　like　the　rest　of　the　house；　is　raised　on　piles　above　the　ground；　and　is　lit　by　a　single　small　window　opening　on　a　lonely　place；　so　that　the　girl　is　in　almost　total　darkness。　She　may　not　leave　the　room　on　any　pretext　whatever；　not　even　for　the　most　necessary　purposes。　None　of　her　family　may　see　her　all　the　time　she　is　shut　up；　but　a　single　slave　woman　is　appointed　to　wait　on　her。　During　her　lonely　confinement；　which　often　lasts　seven　years；　the　girl　occupies　herself　in　weaving　mats　or　with　other　handiwork。　Her　bodily　growth　is　stunted　by　the　long　want　of　exercise；　and　when；　on　attaining　womanhood；　she　is　brought　out；　her　complexion　is　pale　and　wax…like。　She　is　now　shown　the　sun；　the　earth；　the　water；　the　trees；　and　the　flowers；　as　if　she　were　newly　born。　Then　a　great　feast　is　made；　a　slave　is　killed；　and　the　girl　is　smeared　with　his　blood。　In　Ceram　girls　at　puberty　were　formerly　shut　up　by　themselves　in　a　hut　which　was　kept　dark。　In　Yap；　one　of　the　Caroline　Islands；　should　a　girl　be　overtaken　by　her　first　menstruation　on　the　public　road；　she　may　not　sit　down　on　the　earth；　but　must　beg　for　a　coco…nut　shell　to　put　under　her。　She　is　shut　up　for　several　days　in　a　small　hut　at　a　distance　from　her　parents'　house；　and　afterwards　she　is　bound　to　sleep　for　a　hundred　days　in　one　of　the　special　houses　which　are　provided　for　the　use　of　menstruous　women。

In　the　island　of　Mabuiag；　Torres　Straits；　when　the　signs　of　puberty　appear　on　a　girl；　a　circle　of　bushes　is　made　in　a　dark　corner　of　the　house。　Here；　decked　with　shoulder…belts；　armlets；　leglets　just　below　the　knees；　and　anklets；　wearing　a　chaplet　on　her　head；　and　shell　ornaments　in　her　ears；　on　her　chest；　and　on　her　back；　she　squats　in　the　midst　of　the　bushes；　which　are　piled　so　high　round　about　her　that　only　her　head　is　visible。　In　this　state　of　seclusion　she　must　remain　for　three　months。　All　this　time　the　sun　may　not　shine　upon　her；　but　at　night　she　is　allowed　to　slip　out　of　the　hut；　and　the　bushes　that　hedge　her　in　are　then　changed。　She　may　not　feed　herself　or　handle　food；　but　is　fed　by　one　or　two　old　women；　her　maternal　aunts；　who　are　especially　appointed　to　look　after　her。　One　of　these　women　cooks　food　for　her　at　a　special　fire　in　the　forest。　The　girl　is　forbidden　to　eat　turtle　or　turtle　eggs　during　the　season　when　the　turtles　are　breeding；　but　no　vegetable　food　is　refused　her。　No　man；　not　even　her　own　father；　may　come　into　the　house　while　her　seclusion　lasts；　for　if　her　father　saw　her　at　this　time　he　would　certainly　have　bad　luck　in　his　fishing；　and　would　probably　smash　his　canoe　the　very　next　time　he　went　out　in　it。　At　the　end　of　the　three　months　she　is　carried　down　to　a　freshwater　creek　by　her　attendants；　hanging　on　to　their　shoulders　in　such　a　way　that　her　feet　do　not　touch　the　ground；　while　the　women　of　the　tribe　form　a　ring　round　her；　and　thus　escort　her　to　the　beach。　Arrived　at　the　shore；　she　is　stripped　of　her　ornaments；　and　the　bearers　stagger　with　her　into　the　creek；　where　they　immerse　her；　and　all　the　other　women　join　in　splashing　water　over　both　the　girl　and　her　bearers。　When　they　come　out　of　the　water　one　of　the　two　attendants　makes　a　heap　of　grass　for　her　charge　to　squat　upon。　The　other　runs　to　the　reef；　catches　a　small　crab；　tears　off　its　claws；　and　hastens　back　with　them　to　the　creek。　Here　in　the　meantime　a　fire　has　been　kindled；　and　the　claws　are　roasted　at　it。　The　girl　is　then　fed　by　her　attendants　with　the　roasted　claws。　After　that　she　is　freshly　decorated；　and　the　whole　party　marches　back　to　the　village　in　a　single　rank；　the　girl　walking　in　the　centre　between　her　two　old　aunts；　who　hold　her　by　the　wrists。　The　husbands　of　her　aunts　now　receive　her　and　lead　her　into　the　house　of　one　of　them；　where　all　partake　of　food；　and　the　girl　is　allowed　once　more　to　feed　herself　in　the　usual　manner。　A　dance　follows；　in　which　the　girl　takes　a　prominent　part；　dancing　between　the　husbands　of　the　two　aunts　who　had　charge　of　her　in　her　retirement。

Among　the　Yaraikanna　tribe　of　Cape　York　Peninsula；　in　Northern　Queensland；　a　girl　at　puberty　is　said　to　live　by　herself　for　a　month　or　six　weeks；　no　man　may　see　her；　though　any　woman　may。　She　stays　in　a　hut　or　shelter　specially　made　for　her；　on　the　floor　of　which　she　lies　supine。　She　may　not　see　the　sun；　and　towards　sunset　she　must　keep　her　eyes　shut　until　the　sun　has　gone　down；　otherwise　it　is　thought　that　her　nose　will　be　diseased。　During　her　seclusion　she　may　eat　nothing　that　lives　in　salt　water；　or　a　snake　would　kill　her。　An　old　woman　waits　upon　her　and　supplies　her　with　roots；　yams；　and　water。　Some　Australian　tribes　are　wont　to　bury　their　girls　at　such　seasons　more　or　less　deeply　in　the　ground；　perhaps　in　order　to　hide　them　from　the　light　of　the　sun。

Among　the　Indians　of　California　a　girl　at　her　first　menstruation　was　thought　to　be　possessed　of　a　particular　degree　of　supernatural　power；　and　this　was　not　always　regarded　as　entirely　defiling　or　malevolent。　Often；　however；　there　was　a　strong　feeling　of　the　power　of　evil　inherent　in　her　condition。　Not　only　was　she　secluded　from　her　family　and　the　community；　but　an　attempt　was　made　to　seclude　the　world　from　her。　One　of　the　injunctions　most　strongly　laid　upon　her　was　not　to　look　about　her。　She　kept　her　head　bowed　and　was　forbidden　to　see　the　world　and　the　sun。　Some　tribes　covered　her　with　a　blanket。　Many　of　the　customs　in　this　connection　resembled　those　of　the　North　Pacific　Coast　most　strongly；　such　as　the　prohibition　to　the　girl　to　touch　or　scratch　her　head　with　her　hand；　a　special　implement　being　furnished　her　for　the　purpose。　Sometimes　she　could　eat　only　when　fed　and　in　other　cases　fasted　altogether。

Among　the　Chinook　Indians　who　inhabited　the　coast　of　Washington　State；　when　a　chief's　daughter　attained　to　puberty；　she　was　hidden　for　five　days　from　the　view　of　the　people；　she　might　not　look　at　them　nor　at　the　sky；　nor　might　she　pick　berries。　It　was　believed　that　if　she　were　to　look　at　the　sky；　the　weather　would　be　bad；　that　if　she　picked　berries；　it　would　rain；　and　that　when　she　hung　her　towel　of　cedar…bark　on　a　spruce…tree；　the　tree　withered　up　at　once。　She　went　out　of　the　house　by　a　separate　door　and　bathed　in　a　creek　far　from　the　village。　She　fasted　for　some　days；　and　for　many　days　more　she　might　not　eat　fresh　food。

Amongst　the　Aht　or　Nootka　Indians　of　Vancouver　Island；　when　girls　reach　puberty　they　are　placed　in　a　sort　of　gallery　in　the　house　and　are　there　surrounded　completely　with　mats；　so　that　neither　the　sun　nor　any　fire　can　be　seen。　In　this　cage　they　remain　for　several　days。　Water　is　given　them；　but　no　food。　The　longer　a　girl　remains　in　this　retirement　the　greater　honour　is　it　to　the　parents；　but　she　is　disgraced　for　life　if　it　is　known　that　she　has　seen　fire　or　the　sun　during　this　initiatory　ordeal。　Pictures　of　the　mythical　thunder…bird　are　painted　on　the　screens　behind　which　she　hides。　During　her　seclusion　she　may　neither　move　nor　lie　down；　but　must　always　sit　in　a　squatting　posture。　She　may　not　touch　her　hair　with　her　hands；　but　is　allowed　to　scratch　her　head　with　a　comb　or　a　piece　of　bone　provided　for　the　purpose。　To　scratch　her　body　is　also　forbidden；　as　it　is　believed　that　every　scratch　would　leave　a　scar。　For　eight　months　after　reaching